USP As you pass through the Sicilian countryside, passing vineyards and olive groves, driving towards the Kempinski Hotel Giardino di Costanza, near Trapani, you might wonder if they put these luscious local ingredients to good use in the restaurant’s cooking. Rest assured, they do. What is less likely to spring to mind is whether they make good use of these ingredients in the spa but, surprisingly, virgin olive oil massages and lemon toners are on the menu. In fact, as you enter the Arabian style spa the refreshing scent of citrus, extracted from local orange trees, hits you and the treatment brochure reads like a shopping list for the local market. Herbal lemon body masks, lemon juice skin toner, locally mined salt exfoliater, olive oil from the surrounding groves moisturiser. They even use volcanic clay from nearby volcanoes as a deep cleanser to help you prevent any unsightly skin eruptions of your own.

AMBIENCE It’s a big spa, 2,100 square metres, with 14 treatment rooms, a gym, indoor pool (in addition to the hotel’s two outdoor pools), two saunas – one male, one female, and a relaxation room. It’s decorated in a traditional Arabian style (the Arabs invaded Sicily in 827AD and their influence is still felt) with cream walls, pale terracotta floors, each room dotted with jugs of water and bowls of fruit. It’s on the ground floor so there is some natural light, and the overall feel is refreshing and airy.

TREATMENT I had the Sicilian high-salt energiser and the therapists invited my boyfriend to join me. I wasn’t sure how much I would enjoy sharing my pamper time with someone else as I’ve heard that treatments for couples can be a bit strange; you relax and when you open your eyes, put your lolling tongue back in your mouth and dry the dribble falling down your chin, you notice that you’re partner is looking over at you – or vice versa. And then there is always that time when they leave a couple alone to "relax" (wink, wink). Anyway, once Liam put on the black paper pants he was offered (mine were white) I realised entertainment value would far outweigh any potential embarrassment.

We were led to a large treatment room with two enormous couches and a salt-water pool. On the couches we were given the exfoliation of a lifetime. The two therapists rubbed us down with the locally sourced salt to within an inch of our lives, it felt like my knees were being erased. Then we showered and were led to the pool which contained 100 kilos of salt. Here we had to bathe for 25 minutes and the therapists left us to it (nudge, nudge). Then back to the treatment beds for a pleasant half-hour body massage.

FOOD In the hotel's restaurant and bars: signature Sicilian dishes, a catch of the day and a healthily stocked wine cellar.

IN CROWD The place was empty when we were there as it was end of season, but apparently it is popular with British couples and Italians who come over for a weekend break. It’s probably a nice place to stay for a weekend, but no longer as there is not that much to do in the area. The beach is 8km away and the nearest town, Mazara del Vallo, which is ten minutes away, doesn’t have much to recommend it – and the hotel transfer costs €40 euros to take you there.

WALLET WATCH Our one and a half hour treatment for two people came to €300, which is probably quite typical for a five-star hotel. A 90-minute facial costs €120 and an eyelash and eyebrow tint costs €30. Citalia offer three nights at the five-star Kempinski Hotel Giardino di Costanza from £409 per person or seven nights from £1,005 per person. This price is based on two sharing a superior room with balcony, on a B&B basis and includes British Airways flights from London and car hire with collection at Palermo airport.

NEED TO KNOW Kempinski Hotel Giardino di Costanza Sicily, Via Salemi, Mazara del Vallo (0039 0923 675000; www.kempinski-sicily.com). For bookings and information please contact Citalia on 0870 909 7554 or visit www.citalia.com.

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